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Conversation 017-032

TapeTape 17StartFriday, December 24, 1971 at 5:20 PMEndFriday, December 24, 1971 at 5:22 PMTape start time01:34:02Tape end time01:36:09ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Rogers, William P.Recording deviceWhite House Telephone
AI Summary

President Nixon and Secretary of State William P. Rogers exchanged holiday greetings and coordinated travel plans for an upcoming trip to Florida. The two discussed the positive press coverage surrounding Rogers's recent press conference, as reported by Charles Colson. Additionally, Nixon justified the release of Jimmy Hoffa as a humanitarian necessity, noting that the administration placed conditions on the release to restrict Hoffa's involvement in labor activities until 1983.

William P. RogersJimmy HoffaPress relationsPresidential travelLabor policy
AudioNARA Description

On December 24, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and William P. Rogers talked on the telephone from 5:20 pm to 5:22 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 017-032 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 17-32

Date: December 24, 1971
Time: 5:20 pm - 5:22 pm

Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with William P. Rogers.

     Rogers's location

     Christmas wishes

     The President's schedule
          -Florida
                -Timing
                -Adele (Langston) Rogers
                -Thelma C. (“Pat”) Nixon

     Rogers's press conference
         -Charles W. Colson report
         -Media play
                -Positive

     James R. (“Jimmy”) Hoffa's release
          -Timing
                -Unknown person
          -Josephine (Poszywak) Hoffa
                -Health
          -Conditions on Hoffa’s release
                -New York Times

     Football
Transcript (AI-Generated)

This transcript was generated automatically by AI and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Do not cite this transcript as authoritative. Consult the Finding Aid above for verified information.

Hello?
Secretary Rogers, returning your call.
Hello, Mr. President.
Hello, Mr. President.
You got a shower, huh?
Well, I just called to wish you a Merry Christmas and to tell you that I was delighted that you were going down the plane with us Sunday night, huh?
Yeah, Sunday night.
Yeah, Sunday night.
That's what I meant.
I'm going to wait.
I'm going at 8 o'clock.
I wanted to wait and see the football game.
I'm glad.
And, of course, Patterson's going, but...
you bring a towel with you.
There'll be plenty of room.
Yeah, well, that's fine.
I thought at the end, because we're going to be there.
Well, you might have thought that an extra day in that way.
Sure, that's fine.
Good, and I thought you were excellent in your press conference.
I didn't see it, but Colson gave me a report.
He talked to me extremely well.
Got a good play on it.
Excellent play.
Yeah, you know, when you think about it, we got quite a record.
I summarized the record, and it's a firm record when you think about it.
God darn right.
And I tell you, everybody in the place was friendly.
I didn't have a hostile person.
I mean, you had a big group.
Yeah.
It was the right time to have it, too.
It was only a coincidence.
We hadn't thought of it, you know.
The hopper release occurred the same day, or it would have been the lead, but that's all right.
It was good that we had another story with Hoffa.
Yeah, I think that too.
No, I think it worked out fine.
Incidentally, the Hoffa thing, we had to do with a reason that I wanted to get it over with.
Now, the patrol bar was bound to let him out in June, and I didn't want him to come back soon.
So, yeah.
Well, I think it was a good thing.
And the poor guy, he looked like hell, they told me.
And the wife is, you know...
it desperately.
Well, after a man that served almost five years, the rest of it is just cool and inhuman punishment.
It really is.
You've got degradation.
And also, another thing we did, we put a condition on it that he could not participate in any labor activities until 1983.
Well, now, what the heck?
I don't think anybody wants more except the New York Times.
Well, I hope you have a great Christmas.
I'm going to watch football.
Okay, Mr. President.
Thank you.
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